Choosing the Right Corporate Training

Onsite Training by Company's Own Management

Many companies send a few employees to training, then they rely on those people to come back and spread the knowledge to the team. Or, they create their own courses and enlist employees to impart their wisdom on colleagues.

Pros:

• Less costly to send just one or two people to training.
• Encourages employees to educate others about their expertise, often resulting in greater awareness and communication among departments.
• Allows facetime and open discussion among colleagues.

Cons:

• Teaching abilities vary greatly; there's a high risk that some instructors will not communicate information well.
• Planning and teaching take away time from core responsibilities, which may hinder overall productivity.
• Employees may feel inhibited to ask questions or challenge information.

Offsite Classes at Training Center or Community College

Nearly every metropolitan area has a community college that offers adult or continuing education classes. Some cities also have learning centers that offer courses taught by successful entrepreneurs or industry gurus.

Pros:

• Standard agendas every semester ensure some continuity in the information learned.
• Courses are taught by professionals with industry experience and teaching ability.
• A mixture of on- and off-line classes is often available.

Cons:

• Courses may span several weeks, too long to hold some employees' attention.
• Unless prerequisites are required, students at any level may participate, forcing the teacher to pace the class for the lowest-common denominator.

One-off Seminars

For specific or motivational topics, employees can attend one-shot "celebrity" seminars, given by professional speakers or executives. Several non-profit and professional organizations also hold development courses, designed for busy people who need fine-tuning in one area.

Pros:

• Easy to evaluate the quality of the presenters based on testimonials and past reviews.
• Poses an opportunity to network with industry colleagues.
• Introduces outside-the-company-box ways to approach challenges.

Cons:

• Some seminars are mainly venues for authors/speakers to sell books and other products.
• One-time events encourage new thinking, but unless employees act on their ideas immediately, there may be no long-term behavioral change.

Degree Programs

For employees who want to get to the next level or change their career focus, offering to cover all or some credits towards a degree ensures that they stay at their jobs as they increase knowledge and enhance skills. Many companies require that employees stay with the company or repay some of the tuition money if they decide to leave after receiving the degree.

Pros:

• Encourages employees to continue their core education and contribute more to the company's general knowledge base.
• Attracts motivated, dedicated employees who want to learn.
• Prompts employees to work towards their dream jobs, fostering a happier and more productive workforce.

Cons:

• Programs can be intense and may exhaust employees to a point that detracts from their on-the-job performance.

Regardless of the type of training that you decide to offer, it's important to gather constant feedback, to make sure you're always spending your money and time wisely. Perhaps you'll find that you need to offer more than one type, so employees with different learning styles can get the most out of the training. And don't forget to sign yourself up-employees at every level can benefit!

For more information on training that ensures more productive and smarter employees or to sign up for a short monthly e-newsletters, visit www.praxishr.com, e-mail Praxis HR at info@praxishr.com, or call 206.262.8133.

Jeff Turner is the President of Praxis HR and a Seattle-based authority on high-impact human resources, organizational development and training practices that help companies increase their profits by investing in their human capital. He is on the SBA's National Advisory Council, serves on the Board of Directors of the Seattle Society for Human Resources Management, and is a member of the Labor & Employment Law section of the Washington State Bar Association. Contact Jeff at Info@PraxisHR.com, 206.262.8133, or visit www.PraxisHR.com.

 

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